newsclips
fEBrUary 2013
COmmUnity newspapers need tO get On the radar FOr digitaL advertising by anne Lannan OCna exeCUtive direCtOr
The main message coming from the recently released Digital Media Study, produced for the Ontario Community Newspapers Association, is that community newspapers need to prepare now and get serious about securing digital advertising to complement their print products. Corporately-owned newspapers have built the infrastructure and are working towards concentrated strategies, be it via their newspaper websites, niche markets, or mobile opportunities. The study identifies ways in which independent community newspapers in Canada, as well as the corporate papers, can achieve significant growth in their online advertising revenues. These revenues may be critical to the continued survival of community papers because, as we’ve seen, online revenue can supplement total advertising
by 10% to as much as 25% — monies that will certainly help community-based newspapers remain innovative and responsive to the communities they serve, states the Borrell Associates report. When it comes to digital revenues, there is a gap not only with the provincial chain-owned newspapers (for which there are obvious reasons, including circulation, size of markets, and the level of support) but also with U.S. community newspapers of comparable dimensions. Borrell Associates have identified four factors that might assist: ▄ ▄
Content strategies that will generate online traffic
At the association level, development of templated adserving and related technology solutions that will provide Continued on page 5 >>>
piCtOn gaZette and napanee beaver staFF presented with QUiLL awards OCNA was delighted to present six employees with Silver and Bronze Quill Awards earlier this month for their hard work and dedication to the Napanee Beaver and Picton Gazette. (Pictured left to right): Karen Gyde, Diane Grose, Marion Sedore, Deb McCann, OCNA President Mike Mount, Michelle Bowes and Mary Newton. Jean Morrison, Publisher of both newspapers was also in attendance for the presentations (pictured front and centre). Silver Quills are given to employees with 25 years of service to the newspaper industry. Bronze Quills are given by the newspaper publisher to staff members who have long term service less than 25 years.
what’s inside:
OCNA’S MEDIA GUIDE
CONVENTION AGENDA
THE FOUR P’S OF MARKETING
An important training tool for newspapers.
Join us on March 22 for the 2013 Spring Convention
Product, Price, Place and Promotion.
See Page 7
See Page 11
See Page 19
monThly PUBlicaTion of ThE onTario1 commUniTy nEWsPaPErs associaTion February 2013 www.ocna.org
inDustRy news
OCNA Spring Convention and BNC Awards Gala Friday marCh 22, 2013 Hilton Garden Inn, Vaughan
newsCLips vOLUme 02, issUe 06 3228 South Service Rd. Suite 116 Burlington, ON L7N 3H8 p.905.639.8720 f.905-639.6962 e. info@ocna.org w. www.ocna.org ocna BoarD
Don’t miss your chance to attend OCNA’s 2013 Spring Convention! The day is jam packed with information and sessions for all members. It’s a chance to mingle, discuss industry related issues and have some fun! The day will conclude with the BNC Awards Gala hosted by CHCH’s Mark Hebscher. Here we will announce first, second and third place winners of the Better Newspaper Competition.
PRESIDENT
Mike Mount
FIRST VP INTERIM
Rick Shaver
SECOND VP
Gordon Cameron
SECRETARY/ TREASURER
Dave Harvey
PAST PRESIDENT
Don MacLeod
DIRECTORS
Dave Adsett Andrea DeMeer Abbas Homayed Ray Stanton John Willems
Registration is available at www.ocna.org/ registration2013. Book your hotel rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn before March 8 to receive the special convention rate of $129.00. Online reservations can be made at: http://www.hiltongardeninn. hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/Y/YYZVAGI-NEWS-20130321/ index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG For more information please contact Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org or 905-639-8720 x 232.
in this issUe... 07 ..............................................ocna’s mEDia gUiDE rElEasED
ocna sTaff EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Anne Lannan
CONTROLLER
Todd Frees
MEMBER SERVICES
Karen Shardlow Kelly Gorven
NETWORK CLASSIFIEDS
Carol Lebert
ACCOUNTING
Lucia Shepherd
AD*REACH
Ted Brewer Carolyn Press Erica Leyzac
08 ........................................................Bnc finalisTs annoUncED 11 ..................................................sPring conVEnTion agEnDa
We’ve Moved!
13 ......................................................iT’s Easy...JUsT firE ThEm!
Our new address is: 3228 South Service Rd. Suite 116 Burlington, ON L7N 3H8 Please update your records accordingly.
14 ..........‘BoB ThE BorDEr gUy’ - rETirED anD TElling all 16 ..limiTED nEgoTiaTion sTraTEgiEs lEaD To lEss ProfiT 18 ...............................................................‘WhaT DiD i JUsT say?’ 19 ...................................................ThE foUr P’D of marKETing
February 2013
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Association News
member news
2013 OCNA SUPPLIER SHOWCASE Companies looking to do business or promote a service to community newspapers are invited to participate in the OCNA’s Spring Convention. This year the Spring Convention will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Vaughan, Ontario on Friday, March 22, 2013. There suppliers will have the opportunity to network and mingle with some of our 300+ community newspaper members in Ontario. On average, more than 100 newspaper professionals attend our conventions each year and an additional 150 attend our annual Better Newspaper Awards Gala Dinner. Participants will have the opportunity to address delegates in a 3 minute introduction during the President’s Premiere Lunch. Many opportunities to interact with the attendees will be available during the breakfast, two coffee breaks and our lunch. Your registration fee will also include placing your promotional information in our 200 delegate bags. Promotional material must be received no later than March 15, 2013. No formal trade show area is being set-up; rather this is an opportunity to be part of our group as a whole while still being able to showcase your company.
MOUNT FOREST CONFEDERATE STAFF MEMBER RETIRES After 16 years Sharon Wilson has retired as advertising sales consultant with the Mount Forest Confederate. Kim Lucas, who was selling part-time for the once-a-month West Grey Progress will fill Sharon’s position. Dianne Fascinato has joined the Confederate staff to sell for the West Grey Progress.
To register, please visit www.ocna.org/registration2013. Cost is as follows: ▄▄ $275 per person to participate in our convention, including breakfast and lunch, a 3-minute introduction and promotional information in our delegate bags. ▄▄ ▄▄
$385 - includes everything above, plus join us for our annual BNC Awards Gala
$150 - if you cannot attend the convention and wish to place promotional material in the OCNA delegate bags.
Book your at the Hilton Garden Inn before March 8 to receive the special room rate of $129. To register go to: http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/Y/ YYZVAGI-NEWS-20130321/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG. Or if you’d like to speak with a live person, please call 1-888-269-4115 and quote group code NEWS. For more information, please contact Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org or 905-639-8720 x 232.
the Oshawa Express is LinkedIn
The Listowel Banner and Minto Express welcomed sports reporter/ photographer Dan McNee earlier this month. Dan has returned to the newsroom following a brief hiatus from the journalism industry to explore other endeavors, but found he just couldn't stay away! His drive, photography/writing skills and sense of humour are a great addition to these two community weeklies.
Kim Boatman, Oshawa Express’ VP of Advertising, is one popular lady, making all the right connections. Recently, she was informed that she has one of the top five per cent most viewed LinkedIn profiles for 2012. Kim has numerous connections on the popular networking site, which recently reached its own milestone with 200 million members in 200 countries around the world. Kim is committed to making sure the newspaper continues to be well read through her various connections all over the country. February 2013
new sports reporter for minto express and listowel banner
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association News
member news ISWNE scholarship Congratulations to Manitoulin Expositor Editor Alicia McCutcheon who is the recipient of the Brian Mazza Scholarship, offered through the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE). The Scholarship, named after the 45 year old Alberta editor who passed away suddenly in 2007, is awarded to a Canadian editor and provides funding to attend the ISWNE conference. This year’s conference is being held in Wisconsin in July.
grimsby/lincoln/west lincoln newsnow continues to grow Grimsby/Lincoln/West Lincoln NewsNow, which launched last May as a monthly expanded to bi-monthly in September and weekly in December with great results. Despite the quick expansion, the weekly has enjoyed steady growth and has been awarded with several major community projects including the Town of Lincoln Community Services Guide, which will be published March 7. The magazinestyle vertical sold out in four days. In planning for the frequency increase, David Wilson and Pamela Haire were hired last fall as new sales staff.
Share your updates and photos with us! Send all information to newsclips@ocna.org
February 2013
OCNA’s Board of Directors is pleased to welcome the following newspapers as probationary Active Members: Newspaper North Grenville Times Toronto L’Express
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Circulation 5,000 15,000
Ownership Independent Independent
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association news
>>> Continued from Front Page
online revenue grows in us a simple and inexpensive means for independent papers to carry adverts on their websites
are still significantly ahead of the Canadian industry. There is a context that should frame the initiatives recommended. Community newspapers have strong relationships with the communities they serve, and more so — at least in smaller population markets — than any other type of local media. They are therefore ideally placed to extend their reach and to capture the migration to online, both news/information and advertising. If they fail to seize those opportunities, though, they will lose business, perhaps permanently, to new and more nimble online businesses unencumbered by the costs of running a newspaper.
▄▄
At the association level, online ad sales services that will direct national and regional advertising to participating sites ▄▄
At the local level, and perhaps on a part-time basis, hiring online-only sales reps and where feasible partnering with other local media to support the investment
The future of classified advertising is uncertain in both print and online. The local/hyperlocal focus of community newspapers can certainly be exploited, but vertical markets are being challenged by outside forces. The report outlines this in detail.
Ontario independent community newspapers report median online advertising revenue of zero. There are a few exceptions. A few papers, typically larger-circulation and with a topical focus (religion, politics), generate significant online income. But while 75% of non-chain papers have a website, they have not yet found a way to monetize their online presence. In addition, 25% of the papers do not even have a website. The pattern is similar across the country.
So setting goals going forward for online revenue, Borrell Associates are recommending an attainable target over the next 5 to 7 years for community newspapers is to have 25% of revenue from online operations, with that revenue accounting for 5 points of operating profit [i.e. total revenue $100, profit from online $5]. The Digital Media Study also provides valuable tools for community newspapers to gauge their progress and effectiveness with such things as Borrell’s Digital Media Business Model Dashboard as well as best practices of other newspapers.
The U.S. experience is different. Independent community newspapers hold a rising share of their total gross revenue from online advertising. Papers with a circulation of less than 6,000 are earning a median of more than $7 per unit of print circulation [online revenue divided by circulation: e.g. $35,000 from online advertising, weekly circulation of 5,000 = $7 per unit of print circulation] and an average of nearly $15. Those numbers include independent and group-owned titles. Even if the independents are averaging only half of those levels, they
The study has been sent to all OCNA members as well as community newspapers across the country. To receive a complimentary copy, please e-mail OCNA Executive Director Anne Lannan at a.lannan@ocna.org
Service includes: Libel, Invasion of Privacy, Plagiarism, Piracy, Infringement of Copyright, Pre-Publication Hotline Contact us for a quote: Todd Frees, General Manager 905-639-8720 ext. 234 t.frees@ocna.org
Affordable media insurance for Canadian Community Newspapers
February 2013
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AssociAtion news
Call for Nominations to the OCNA Board of Directors
CLassiFied ad pUbLisher-trainee wanted
north huron publishing Company inc. The community-owned publishing company seeks a dedicated person with editorial or sales experience to train to replace the founding publisher. Located in southwestern Ontario, 20 minutes from the sands of Lake Huron, they operate a community newspaper serving two villages of 1,000 each, a farm magazine of 13,000 circulation and a tourist publication. Send a letter of introduction and resume to: Keith Roulston President, North Huron Publishing Company Inc. P.O. Box 429 Blyth, ON N0M 1H0, call 519-523-4792 or e-mail editor@stopsalonglakehuron.com
February 2013
The Nominating Committee for the Ontario Community Newspapers Association is seeking qualified members who would be interested in serving on the OCNA Board of Directors for a three-year term. If you are passionate about our industry and want to have a voice in the strategic direction of your association consider putting your name forward for the slate of candidates. Please contact Past President Don MacLeod at 905-435-3947.
high sChOOL stUdents Find a way tO keep newspaper aLive
couRtesy oF town cRieR newsPAPeR GRouP
When students at North Toronto Collegiate discovered that their school’s newspaper, Graffiti, was being shut down due to the labour situation, they decided to take matters into their own hands and launch an independent paper. The Graffiti’s student management proposed three options to their team to keep a paper at their school — self-produce, publish online, or do nothing. They chose to self-produce. The name ‘Proxy’ - which means a replacement - was fittingly given to the new paper. The name change was necessary because students were concerned that if it were called Graffiti some might think that school staff were going against their union to help the new publication. The students write, edit, speak with the printer and secure advertising on their own. The only new aspect they had to navigate was opening a bank account, since student council no longer funds the paper. In order to pay for the January edition students needed to raise about $1,400. The general consensus around the school community has been positive since making the changes from Graffiti to Proxy. 6
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AssociAtion news
OCna reLeases media gUide as impOrtant training tOOL Here is what you will find inside:
The Ontario Community Newspapers Association is pleased to release its Media Guide, the most comprehensive and inclusive report that we can determine has ever been produced for our industry. The association developed it as an educational tool and handy resource for its member newspapers.
Editorial Chapters
Copyright Requirements for copyright Protection Uses by Newspapers of Copyright Material Term of Copyright Protection What NOT to Do When Gathering Material for Your Reporting Court Reporting Contempt of Court Adult Courts Youth Courts Youths and Provincial Offence Reporting on Child Welfare Proceedings Defamation Preparing your report for publication Third Party Content Your special rights to correct errors Protecting your special rights Libel Suit
Knowledge is king as the contents of this Media Guide will help to protect you and your newspaper, as well as your readers and your advertisers, from concerns and legal issues in your articles and advertisements. The 24 Advertising Chapters provide useful links to the regulations and laws governing each topic to allow you to access current information and understand why you cannot publish certain things. You may wish to select a chapter to review with your team during your weekly sales meetings. The Editorial Chapters were prepared by Media Lawyers Stuart Robertson and Douglas Richardson of the Toronto firm O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo. OCNA is grateful for their passion and commitment to our industry.
Advertising Chapters
The Media Guide has been saved on the members’ OCNA site at http://www.ocna.org/filebrowser/ocna_ programs_services and can be downloaded as a 54 page PDF file as well. Should you choose to download it to your computer, you can turn on the Bookmarks feature to quickly access specific chapters (Under View, Show/ Hide, Navigation, Bookmarks). Also refer back to the online version from time to time for updated versions. Please let us know if links are no longer active or if you would like to see other topics included.
Advertising Alerts Copyright in Advertising Tobacco Advertising Alcohol Advertising Elections Municipal Government Advertising Major Sporting Franchises Reproducing Money Mortgages, Loans and Financial Services Advertising of Taxes Auto Advertising Promotional Contests Gambling, including Online Hides and Antlers Firewood Multi-level Marketing Satellite Dish Advertising Accommodations Employment Advertising Surrogate Mothers Sale of Firearms Sale of Cemetery Plots Identity Theft Misleading Ads
Please note: This Media Guide is not a legal document, rather it is intended for information and referral purposes only. When dealing with matters for publication in your own newspapers, always refer to the most recent version of the associated guidelines or laws and seek the advice of your lawyer for interpretation.
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association News
better Newspaper competition finalists announced Listed below are the top three finalists in alphabetical order. First, second and third place winners will be announced the BNC Awards Gala on Friday March 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Vaughan.
General Excellence Awards
General Excellence Awards recognize overall achievement by circulation class in editorial, advertising and layout. Class 1 Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette Gravenhurst Banner Minden Times Class 2 Burks Falls Almaguin News Kincardine Independent Winchester Press Class 3 Eganville Leader Huntsville Forester Nunavut News/North Class 4 Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics Niagara This Week, The Leader Niagara This Week, Town Crier Ottawa Hill Times Class 5 Dundas Star News Elmira-Woolwich Observer Renfrew Mercury EMC Class 6 Sponsored by Northern News Services Muskoka, What's Up Muskoka Stoney Creek News Whitby This Week Class 7 Brantford, Brant News Burlington Post Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner Class 8 - College/University February 2013
Algonquin College - Algonquin Times Niagara College - Niagara News Ryerson University - Ryersonian
Best Editorial (circ 10,000+) Mississauga News Oshawa Express Uxbridge Times-Journal
College & University Awards
Best Editorial (circ -9,999) Burks Falls Almaguin News Nunavut News/North Sioux Lookout Wawatay News
College and University Awards recognize the work of Journalism students in Photography, News Writing, and Feature Writing. Student Feature Writing Sponsored by Ontario General Contractors Association Humber College - Katlyn Fledderus Ryerson University - Katherine Engqvist Ryerson University - Otiena Ellwand Student News Writing Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association Humber College - Alex Consiglio Ryerson University - Katia Dmitrieva Ryerson University - Sarah Robinson Student Photography Loyalist College - Dan Pearce Loyalist College - Kristen Haveman Ryerson University - Joelle Tomlinson Best College/University Newspaper Website Humber College - Humber Et Cetera Loyalist College - QNET News Ryerson University - Ryersonian
Premier Awards
Premier Awards honour individual works in both editorial and advertising categories.
Education Writing Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association Caledon Enterprise Sioux Lookout Wawatay News Toronto Forest Hill Town Crier Environment Ontario Hamilton Mountain News Muskoka, What's Up Muskoka Vankleek Hill Review Feature Writing (circ 10,000+) Sponsored by O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo Clarington This Week North Bay Nipissing News Ottawa Hill Times Feature Writing (circ -9,999) Sponsored by O'Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo New Hamburg Independent Nunavut News/North Vankleek Hill Review Health & Wellness Burks Falls Almaguin News Orleans EMC Peterborough This Week
Arts & Entertainment Manitoulin Expositor New Hamburg Independent North Bay Nipissing News
Heritage Sponsored by Fort Frances Times Brampton Guardian Elmira-Woolwich Observer Prescott Journal
Best Business & Finance Story Gravenhurst Banner Markham Economist & Sun New Hamburg Independent
Best Investigative News Story Caledon Enterprise Gravenhurst Banner Waterloo Chronicle
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Association News
Best News Story (circ 10,000+) Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc. Scarborough Mirror Toronto Forest Hill Town Crier Toronto Today Best News Story (circ -9,999) Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc. Nunavut News/North Parry Sound North Star West Carleton Review EMC Best Rural Story (circ 10,000+) Sponsored by Ontario Federation of Agriculture Muskoka, What's Up Muskoka Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner Ottawa Hill Times Best Rural Story (circ -9,999) Sponsored by Ontario Federation of Agriculture Manotick Messenger Minto Express West Carleton Review EMC Best Feature/News Series (circ 10,000+) Brighton/East Northumberland Independent Oshawa This Week Thunder Bay Source Best Feature/News Series (circ -9,999) Gravenhurst Banner Meaford Express Nunavut News/North Sports & Recreation Story Ancaster News Burlington Post Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner Humour Columnist of the Year Lindsay Post - Peggy Armstrong Orillia Today - Frank Matys Waterloo Chronicle - Bob Vrbanac
February 2013
Columnist of the Year Brock Citizen - Neil Crone Toronto-Beach-Riverdale-East York Town Crier - Sandra Bussin Whitby This Week - Brian McNair
Photographer of the Year Burlington Post - Eric Riehl Northumberland News - Karen Longwell Oshawa This Week - Sabrina Byrnes
Stephen Shaw Award for Reporter of the Year Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation Lindsay Post - Lisa Gervais Oakville Beaver - David Lea Oshawa Express - Geoff Zochodne
Cartoonist of the Year Brantford, Brant News - Dave McCreary Oshawa Express - Jim Bradford Ottawa Hill Times - Michael DeAdder
Editor of the Year Oshawa This Week - Joanne Burghardt Ottawa Hill Times - Kate Malloy Waterdown Flamborough Review Brenda Jefferies Best Feature Photo (circ 10,000+) Sarnia/Lambton This Week Uxbridge Times-Journal Whitby This Week Best Feature Photo (circ -9,999) Haliburton County Echo Kincardine Independent Niagara This Week, Town Crier Best Photo Layout Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette Clarington This Week Elmira-Woolwich Observer Best Sports Photo Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser Burlington Post Mississauga News Best Spot News Photo Peterborough This Week Sudbury Northern Life Whitby This Week Best News Photo Brantford, Brant News Rainy River Record Toronto Bloor West Villager
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Community Service Sponsored by Young Drivers of Canada Muskoka, What's Up Muskoka Oakville Beaver Scugog Standard Best Vertical Product Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette Bracebridge Examiner Fort Frances Times Best Front Page (circ 10,000+) Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing Burlington Post Niagara this Week, Welland Port Perry Star Best Front Page (circ -9,999) Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing Cobden Sun Fort Frances Times New Hamburg Independent Best Sports Section Sponsored by Metroland Media Group Ltd., Southwestern Ontario Division Bracebridge Examiner Burlington Post Kincardine Independent Special Section (circ 10,000+) Barrie Advance Huntsville Forester Niagara this Week, Niagara Falls Special Section (circ -9,999) Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette Cobden Sun Eganville Leader
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association News
>>> Continued from page 7
better Newspaper competition finalists Best Creative Ad Burlington Post Mississauga News Orillia Today In House Promotion Brantford, Brant News Creemore Echo Elmira-Woolwich Observer Local Retail Layout Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics Kawartha Lakes/North Durham CAPS Community News Milton Canadian Champion Orangeville Banner Original Ad Idea (circ 10,000+) Kawartha Lakes/North Durham CAPS Community News Muskoka, What's Up Muskoka Waterdown Flamborough Review
Original Ad Idea (circ -9,999) Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette Manotick Messenger Wingham Advance Times Use of Process Colour Cobden Sun Elmira-Woolwich Observer Oakville Beaver Best Community Newspaper Web Site/Web Portal (circ. 10,000+) Sponsored by Giant Tiger Stores Limited Caledon Enterprise Mississauga News Thunder Bay Source Best Community Newspaper Web Site/Web Portal (circ. -9,999) Sponsored by Giant Tiger Stores Limited Creemore Echo
Manitoulin Expositor Sioux Lookout Wawatay News ONLINE Special Project/Event/ Breaking News Coverage Mississauga News Oshawa This Week Thunder Bay Source Surfer's Selection (circ. 10,000+) Elmira-Woolwich Observer Thunder Bay Source Toronto-Beach-Riverdale-East York Town Crier Toronto Today Surfer's Selection (circ. -9,999) Barry's Bay, The Valley Gazette Creemore Echo Manitoulin Expositor Congratulations to the winners of the BNC Awards and thanks to all OCNA members for participating!
2012 Mary Knowles Award Recipient announced Work for a cause – not for applause. Live life to express – not to impress. Don’t strive to make your presence noticed – just make your absence felt. These are the words written on a sign that hangs above Gerry Harvieux’s desk. Not only are they the words he lives by; they are also perfect words to represent who Gerry is as a person.
forward and offered his time to organize the parade, promising he would find the funds to continue. With the help of his constant promotion in the newspaper, groups who had not been involved in the event for more than a decade, have begun to participate again. Most impressively, last March, when Gerry learned from his daughter that a 15 year-old boy was sleeping in a local park; Gerry went to find the teen and brought him into their home.
Gerry is currently the editor of the Tilbury Times, a position he has held on and off for a combined total of 14 years. His career with the newspaper industry, however, began in 1985 when he was hired for his first reporter’s job at the Wallaceburg Courier Press.
Gerry is always willing to help those in need. He is not one to turn the spotlight on himself. Instead, he prefers to downplay his efforts and focus the attention on those who helped him accomplish the various projects.
Gerry has been an active volunteer in his community for roughly 30 years. One of his many involvements includes the Tilbury Family Funfest. Over the years, Gerry has helped the event’s sponsorship grow from $5,000 to an amazing $40,000. An event that once drew 1,000 guests, now welcomes more than 5,000.
The Mary Knowles Award is coordinated by the Ontario Community Newspapers Foundation. It wishes to recognize those in the community newspaper business who contribute their own time to the betterment of their communities.
In 2011, while covering a Tilbury Chamber of Commerce meeting, Gerry was upset when he learned the group had no financial support to continue the annual Santa Claus Parade. Gerry stepped February 2013
Congratulations to Gerry and all of this year’s nominees for showing such leadership and dedication to your communities. 10
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Association News
2013 Spring convention agenda 8am-9am 9am-12pm
Release of Digital Media Study - Andrew Martin, Borrell Associates How Production Changes Now Can Save You Money and Prepare For the Future Sponsored by McLaren Press Graphics There is NO VALUE in production time. If it takes five hours or one hour to lay out the same ad, it’s still the same ad. Same with pages. Most newspapers are losing valuable time and money on production habits that are outdated, unnecessary and extra work. See how improving your workflow and improving techniques can save you money today and set your newspaper up for the trends rapidly changing our industry. Russel Viers has helped newspapers around the world through seminars and on-site and he’ll share these techniques with you in this 3-hour course. Some of what you’ll learn includes: • Stop converting photos to CMYK in Photoshop • Who really should be laying out your paper? • Advantages of a template-driven design • How to get the most from your software • How to spot time-consuming production bottle-necks and fix • Analyzing your problem areas • Working faster with fewer people • Transitioning to digital media with less time, effort and expense
11am-12pm
Russel Viers is recognized world wide as a publishing expert. As an Adobe Certified Instructor, and with more than 30 years in the newspaper/printing industries, he is a popular speaker at publishing events throughout North America and Europe. In addition to speaking, he has worked with many publications onsite over the past 16 years to improve productivity and streamline workflows. He is a published author and currently has videos available through Lynda.com and Adobe’s Learn by Video covering InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and PDFs. His InDesign plug-in for small newspapers, which allows them to upload content to their websites directly from InDesign, is marketed under the name Atomic News Tools. Independent Publisher Round Table Discussions
12pm - 1:30pm
President’s Premiere Lunch Silver Quill Award Presentations 1:30pm-2:30pm Annual General Meetings Cnrie/OCNF/OCNA 2:30pm-5:00pm Industry Panel Come out to hear some of the industry’s top leaders speak about the strengths of the newspaper business, the industry’s direction and how it is changing. Confirmed speakers include: Peter Kvarnstrom,Glacier Media; VP, British Columbia Operations Ian Proudfoot, VP and Regional Publisher of Metroland Central Mike Power, Sun Media; Publisher of Toronto Sun and VP Advertising Sales, Ontario Lori Abittan, Multicom; President and CEO, Multimedia Nova Corporation Satinder Chera, Canadian Federation of Independent Business; VP Communications Dave Adsett, Publisher, Fergus Wellington Advertiser Aggy Apostolopoulos, KubasPrimedia Jacques Blairs, TD Media, Regional Director 5:30pm-6:30pm BNC Awards Reception Sponsored by OLG 6:30pm-10:30pm BNC Awards Gala - Mark Hebsher, Master of Ceremony Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation February 2013
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association News
training ocna’s fall webinar schedule: March 13th – Twitter for Journalists – Steve Buttry, Digital First Media
Whether you are a Twitter novice or a veteran, you will learn helpful ways to connect with your community in important ways, such as covering breaking news, promoting your content and finding story ideas. Learn how to verify information gathered on Twitter and how to use Twitter to bring news from the community to your web site. Steve Buttry is the Digital Transformation Editor for Digital First Media, the second-largest newspaper company in the United States, publishing more than 200 metro and community newspapers, plus web sites, apps and other products. To register go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/294165424
March 27th - Smart Phones for Journalists - Mandy Jenkins, Digital First Media
Who needs a laptop? In this program, we’ll go over many basic (and free) tools mobile journalists can use to capture, edit and publish news from the field with smart and not-so-smart phones. We’ll also explore a host of other time-saving apps that can make our jobs easier. Mandy Jenkins is the Interactives Editor for Digital First Media, where she oversees data, social and video projects across more than 75 daily news sites. She was previously Social News Editor for politics at the Huffington Post and social media editor for Washington, D.C. local news startup TBD and the Cincinnati Enquirer. To register go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/897839673
newspapers canada Webinar series: March 5th – Super Sales Managers II March 19th - Search Engine Optimization for Executives March 26th - Search Engine Optimization for Newsrooms April 2nd - Excelling at Retail Sales April 9th - Mobile Marketing for Executives April 16th - NNA Multimedia Finalists (FREE) April 23rd - Mobile for Newsrooms May 14th - Excelling at Classified Sales May 21st - Excelling at Corporate Sales June 4th - Great Idea Awards Newspaper Marketing Winners (FREE) June 25th - Newspapers 101: Cross-Media Studies (FREE) Visit www.newspaperscanada.ca/programs/webinars to learn more about each webinar and to register. For more information about the Newspapers Canada webinar series please contact Tina Ongkeko at tongkeko@newspaperscanada.ca.
February 2013
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Human Resources
It’s Easy – Just Fire Them!! A TwoGreySuits Article
Employee terminations are something we have all seen and many of us have experienced. As HR consultants, we have been involved in our share of terminations and we will never be comfortable with this aspect of our professional lives. Our real concern currently is that the termination option is used too readily by many businesses as a solution to either poor hiring practices or poor management practices or in many cases, both. We are also appalled but not surprised to hear that many companies are adopting the practice of ‘trying people out’ and selecting who they feel is the best of the lot. Unfortunately, they usually don’t tell the person being hired that they are on trial and that the chances of staying with the company are quite slim.
productivity, training costs, lost sales, customer perceptions, lower employee morale, and the degradation of often very decent and capable people. Many studies on the true costs of turnover indicate they range anywhere from one to two times the annual salary of the terminated employee. Planned turnover is a very expensive way of doing business and the approach can be altered if the hiring managers are trained in all aspects of interviewing and selection and managers and supervisors are trained in the basic skills of effective people management. In our experience, it is rare indeed to find a manager who has received training in interviewing and selection and rarer still to find someone with a natural instinct for recruiting excellent people. They do exist but in very small numbers.
Of course, it is common practice for new employees to go through a probationary period which should be designed to not only allow the company to determine if they’ve made the right choice but as well to give the new employee the opportunity to do the same. But there are a number of companies who knowingly hire people under the revolving door concept. In other words, they assume a number of hires won’t work out and are quite comfortable with going through the process again in three months. As bizarre as it sounds, this is normal business practice in some companies. Our point is that this ‘revolving door’ idea is an incredibly expensive way of doing business. And, it flies in the face of treating people with respect. It is demoralizing, deceitful and frankly, an abdication of responsibility by companies that don’t provide hiring managers with proper recruitment skills or with the skills to allow them to effectively manage employees.
As professional recruiters at TwoGreySuits we have mastered both parts of the equation and as an integral part of our recruiting assignments, we work with the client hiring manager to bring them up to speed on both, thus increasing the likelihood of long term job success. In conclusion, planned turnover at the point of hire is very expensive, demoralizing, and more importantly can and should be changed as an accepted way of doing business.
This article is part of the TwoGreySuits Employee Performance Management Series and is offered by our partner, the TwoGreySuits HR Power Centre as a free service to our members.
The idea of knowingly hiring someone who has a 50% chance of working out is just plain poor business practice, it is expensive, insensitive, and sends the wrong message to the existing employees. We are not suggesting that companies should live with non-performers; quite the contrary. Our point is that too many companies give managers the latitude to unilaterally decide if someone won’t make the ‘grade’ and, by doing so, support the idea that this is acceptable business practice. Anyone who has been terminated knows the emotional trauma that’s experienced. So, why have we become dehumanized to the point of not really caring about what the terminated employee has to go through and more importantly, what should companies do about it?
The HR Power Centre and HR Hot Line is a one-of-a-kind product specifically designed to get you the answers you need fast, in hundreds of different HR situations. Signing up is simple and free for OCNA members. Just visit https://www.twogreysuits.com/sign_up/regform/index. html?r=OCNA complete the signup page and you’ll have immediate access. Why wait? Don’t let important people management issues go unresolved when you can deal with them today.
First, they should understand the significant costs of ‘planned’ turnover. This is measured in the time which managers and others spend in the process, recruitment fees, lost February 2013
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humour
‘Bob The Border Guy’ Retired And Telling All By William Thomas There is something about retirement that brings out the best memories in a man. Recently my friend Bob left behind 40 years of service as a Canadian customs officer working all four of Niagara’s border crossings with the United States. And he’s taken the ribaldry and remembrances home with him.
Police Department badge as soon as he pulled up to Bob’s window.
In the early days when it was called Customs & Excise most of the front line officers were men – tough, gruff and old school. So asking a war veteran to strip search a transvestite was not the brightest idea the department – now called the Canadian Customs and Border Services – ever had.
There was the Toronto woman found with a suitcase full of baby paraphernalia but no baby. Mystery solved when photos were found of her with her New York boyfriend, looking like the Gerber Food twins, taken in a rather large crib. Embarrassing.
“In transit to Detroit,” he said. Code for official police business. “That your prisoner?” asked Bob, about the scruffy looking passenger. “Ah, that’s my superior,” replied the detective. Oops! Complaint to Customs Superintendant signed. Officer reprimanded. There were the two California hippies in a van who pulled up to the Queenston Bridge after making a wrong turn, still sucking on tubes that were hooked up to a water bong of hashish bubbling away on the centre console. I’m guessing their holiday in the Falls while awaiting trial was ‘far out.’
Another woman coming back to Canada, after a wild weekend in New York City, had a unique device that went off like a lawnmower as soon as Bob opened her suitcase. Awkward.
“So what did you find, Bob? “I’ll tell you what I didn’t find.” And after a very long pause and wry smile came the answer: “Contraband.”
Late one night at the Peace Bridge a pickup truck rolled in with North Carolina plates. A cursory check revealed a reddish brown liquid seeping out the back between the tailgate and the floor. The driver had a southern drawl but no explanation. Bob naturally sent him to ‘secondary’ where they did provide some answers after a call to state police in North Carolina. The liquid was blood; the driver had killed someone back home and made a run for the border after disposing of the body. ‘Detain driver!’
At the small and dingy Whirlpool Bridge often the regulars were prostitutes and their pimps crossing into Canada to work the Queen Street area of Niagara Falls. It was the very first Canada/U.S. Free Trade Zone. But at the Peace Bridge there were usually carloads of ‘bingo bunnies from Buffalo.’ All were nice, easygoing ladies hoping to hit the jackpot at one of Fort Erie’s many bingo halls, that game being illegal in New York State. Bob asked one of his favourite bunnies for a picture to be used in a presentation he was putting together.
Another lone male pulled up to Bob’s booth at the Rainbow Bridge in a car with Pennsylvania plates. The man said he was coming to Canada for a holiday ... with his mother. When Bob could find no other person in the vehicle, he was presented with a burlap bag containing a dead crow.
“If I’d have known you were going to take my picture,” said Ida beaming. “I’d have brought my teeth.” Bob still has the photo.
“She travels with me wherever I go.”
Much like the hours just before the bars close, the midnight shift at the border brings most of the trouble.
“That’s nice, sir. But you and your mother will have to return to the United States.”
There was the no-nonsense guy in a suit who flashed his Buffalo February 2013
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humour
While still at the Peace Bridge and working secondary inspection Bob encountered a very distraught 25-year-old man from a small town south of Buffalo. He explained that his wife had left him and taken the kids and he just wanted to drive along the Niagara River to figure things out. While searching the glove compartment of his pickup truck, Bob learned that the driver’s licence was under suspension. He also found a note, a kind of 14-step plan on how the young man was going to change his life around.
‘Hey where’s that Checkers guy?” asked Bob. “Behind that curtain,” a techie replied. Pulling aside the curtain Bob came face to face with Chubby Checker who was in his bunk bed doing the horizontal twist with a woman, not on the list. Sorry Chubby, international interruptus protocol. Congratulations ‘Bob The Border Guy’ and have a wonderful and well-deserved retirement. You have served your country well in difficult and okay, really strange situations. You will be fondly remembered by all who knew and met you. All except Chubby Checker.
Verbatim, here is that note: 1) Quit drinking for kids and health. 2) Get job. 3) Find house in country. 4) Get custody of kids. 5) Get driver’s licence back. 6) Find God, religion. 7) Find a nice woman. 8) Exercise regularly. 9) Love children unconditionally. 10) Get rifle. 11) Get dog. 12) Grow weed. 13) Sell some assetts. 14) Write a book.
William is an author, a scriptwriter and a nationally syndicated humour columnist. In addition to the 50 newspapers that carry his weekly column, William is the senior writer for Forever Young.
You can’t help but wonder how it all turned out. Bob’s brushes with fame were plenty – President George Bush driving a beat up Reliant, a 200lb. stripper named Twiggy and King Edward VI driving while naked.
Recently William’s work was included in the Great Canadian Anthology Of Humour with the best 50 humour writers in Canada, from Stephen Leacock to today.
However late one night at the Queenston Bridge he did meet the legend Chubby Checker. Entertainers entering Canada were logged by an Immigration Manifest Form which had to be reconciled upon exiting the country. Bob boarded the Chubby Checker Express, a dormitory on wheels, crossed off all the names of the roadies on the manifest.
For more information visit www.williamthomas.ca Williams work can be found on the OCNA web site - a new column is uploaded each week.
Looking for a little motivation?
the newspaper business, what’s our direction and how it is changing, how are we meeting our advertiser’s needs, what our people are up to, what we mean to our readers and the communities we serve, what plans are in the works for the coming year and beyond. There will be ample time for open discussion.
The more the OCNA Board of Directors and our members talk about this business, we realize how important it is to get our industry leaders together. There has been so much publicity about changing business models, reader preferences and revenue streams that our most valued commodity – our people – are asking for direction. So our leaders have overwhelmingly agreed to come together to speak with clarity and conviction about who we are and where we are going. It’s time to toot our own horns and invigorate everyone who works so hard to create valued newspapers week in and week out. If you are looking for a way to ensure their passion for our business remains high or to motivate them, this session is definitely it!
Confirmed speakers include:
Some of the topics to be discussed include the strengths of
See you there.
Don’t miss the Industry Panel during the upcoming OCNA Spring Convention!
February 2013
Mike Power, Sun Media; Publisher of Toronto Sun and VP Advertising Sales, Ontario Peter Kvarnstrom, Glacier Media; VP, British Columbia Operations Ian Proudfoot, VP and Regional Publisher of Metroland Central Lori Abittan, Multicom; President and CEO, Multimedia Nova Corporation Dave Adsett, Publisher, Fergus Wellington Advertiser Satinder Chera, Canadian Federation of Independent Business; VP Communications Aggy Apostolopoulos, Vice President, KubasPrimedia ZenithOptimedia and M2 Universal
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business
limited negotiation strategies lead to less profit By Patrick Tinney Managing Partner Centroid Training & Marketing When ever I engage colleagues on the subject of business negotiation I almost always ask them “…on a scale of one to 10, how do you rate yourself as a negotiator?” Invariably, the answer I get is… ”Oh I think I’m about seven out of 10.” Some colleagues are more honest and give me another number.
In my former life as a sales manager for a large media company, my job was to extract the best value out of our print and delivery products and still maintain a good working relationship with our customers. In other words, my job was to get a smart deal done and make the other side feel comfortable or fulfilled. One strategy that more than one customer would use on us was to call our office to negotiate the best deal they could and then call our local offices and use our deal to cut a deeper deal. This negotiation strategy is known as ‘More and More or Double Dipping.’ Once identified we simply neutralized this strategy without the customer becoming aware.
The next question I generally ask is “…So where did you learn to negotiate?”
There are several of these rudimentary strategies that are easy to identify if you are a seasoned business negotiator. The trick is to always neutralize the other side and pull them closer to your objectives and quietly close the deal. Professional negotiators do this securing slightly more than their fare share of the available proceeds in the negotiation.
Most cannot really answer this question so I help them. I suggest to them that they learned to negotiation by imitating their: 1. Parents 2. Siblings 3. Classmates 4. And finally Business Co-Workers
You do not want the other side to feel poorly in a struck deal. You want them to step away from the bargaining table feeling like they did the best job they could in the negotiation and somewhat fulfilled. If you can succeed in helping your negotiation partners find this comfort zone you will profit on a consistent basis in business negotiations.
The net result is that most of us tend to gravitate toward two or three negotiation strategies we feel comfortable with, strategies that work some of the time or work on people who do not know us. In the world of professional selling, procurement and contract negotiations, the above scenario will limit your profit in a negotiation.
As I often say to clients… “What if I could positively change the trajectory of your business negotiations by a single percentage point? What would that mean to your company?” At larger companies a single percentage point potentially means millions of dollars annually.
A professional business negotiator is adept at: 1. Reconnaissance 2. Time compression and decompression 3. Situational Analysis 4. Cost Modeling 5. Negotiator Style Identification and so on…
So here are a couple of questions. How many different negotiation strategies do your sales or procurement teams use on a consistent basis? And, how effective is your team at profiting in business negotiations?
The above skills and others are turned and twisted like a rubix cube to create a large menu of strategies that can be accessed at will. As a senior sales executive friend of mine recently said, “negotiation is like a chess game that never ends.”
Copyright Centroid Marketing 2012 Patrick Tinney is the founder of Centroid Training and Marketing, a consulting firm helping organizations make and save money through consultative selling, sales prospecting and business negotiation training.
Those in business without a wider negotiation arsenal live in a narrow business channel and may miss the opportunity to secure greater value from their negotiation engagements or worse yet be on the bad end of poor deals. February 2013
For more on Patrick visit centroidmarketing.com 16
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GET YOUR PRESS IDENTIFICATION CARDS OCNA can provide you with laminated, business card-sized Press Cards.
3
3
Cost is $10 each for the first three, and $5 for each one thereafter.
Jan. 28, 2013 Date
Contact Kelly Gorven at k.gorven@ocna.org or call 906-639-8720 x239 for a Publisher’s Authorization Form and instructions on how to send photos.
February 2013
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design
‘What did i just say?’
By ed henninger HENNINGER CONSULTING ONCE IN A WHILE, I’ll hear my daughter or son-in-law play a word game with my granddaughters.
Many designers and desk editors tend to take what they hear and make it gospel. It’s false reasoning that works like this:
They’ll ask the girls: “What did I just say?”
1. Sue said she didn’t like that colour headline. 2. Sue said “Let’s not do that.” 3. OK, I won’t do that. Ever again.
The answer is not… “Make your bed.”
But again, that’s not what Sue said. Sue’s first point was: “I don’t think it works on that package.” That implies that she might think it works on another package. But what Travis heard was: “Let’s not do that.”
Or…“Clean your room.” Or…“Do your homework.” The answer is: “What did I just say?”
It’s really a failure to listen completely…and maybe a failure to communicate properly. Either contribute to a design that can be negative and limited.
Obvious, when you think about it. But sometimes in newsrooms we have to restate ‘the obvious’ time and again.
Much of this can be avoided with some clear language in your design style guide. Here’s what I’d spell out in the style guide section on headlines or colour use:
And sometimes, when we say something, the person who hears it will take it as gospel truth.
“The occasional use of headlines in colour is permitted with the prior approval of…” That can be the editor, managing editor, design editor—whoever is responsible for the look of your paper.
Example: “Sue, what do you think of this headline?”
Oh…you don’t have a design style guide? Not even a few pages outlining your style for headlines, text, standing heads, structure…?
“I think it’s pretty ugly.” “Oh…you don’t like the colour.”
Well, without a design style guide you don’t really have a style, do you? What you have is an agglomeration of ‘things we do that we like but we can change that whenever we want because we have no rules.’
“Not at all, Travis. I don’t think it works on that package. Let’s not do that.” So, Travis returns to his desk…with the mental note that he should never ever use colour in headlines.
You need a design style guide. It will help you avoid a case of ‘the absolutes.’
Actually, that’s not what Sue said. She didn’t say: “Never use colour in headlines.” She said: “I don’t think it works on that package.”
You need a design style guide.
But Travis has taken what Sue said—for this one time and focusing on this one headline—and made it an absolute. Sue will never see another colour headline from Travis as long as he works on her pages.
Now…what did I just say?
…And all because Travis:
ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Directorof Henninger Consulting, offering comprehensive newspaper design services and design evaluations at www.henningerconsulting.com.
1. Didn’t really listen to what Sue said. 2. Denies himself the right to try again. February 2013
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Advertising
The four p’s of marketing By John Foust Raleigh, NC
Marketing is not a one-note tune. In fact, most marketing textbooks feature meticulous descriptions of the Four P’s of marketing – four elements which work together in the creation of a successful campaign. If any one of the four is lacking, failure is a likely possibility.
if inventories are low and the product is out of stock? If it has to be ordered, how long will delivery take?
Media sales people should have a fundamental understanding of these Four P’s. Here’s a quick look:
Promotion: Essentially, promotion is communication. How do you let your target audience know about the advantages of the product or service?
Product availability is a huge has been lost because of
Product: This represents the product or service offered to consumers. If the product is something that the public would like to own, there is a ready-made marketplace.
key. Many distribution
a sale delays.
Here’s where advertising enters the picture. Promotion is one piece of the marketing puzzle. And advertising is one component of promotion – just as public relations, special events and sponsorships are components of promotion.
I must mention that there is a big difference between a want and a need. Just because someone needs a product or service doesn’t mean that he or she will want to buy it. And just because that person needs a particular product doesn’t mean that any brand in that category will do.
Recent textbooks have added a fifth P to the formula: People. Without adequate customer service, all of the other P’s don’t add up to a hill of beans or – ahem – peas.
You may need basic transportation, but you want a certain kind of sports car. You may need athletic shoes, but you want Nikes. You may need a house, but you want to live in a particular neighborhood.
Sadly, some smaller businesses have little or no understanding of the marketing P’s. Of course, they know the importance of each individual element, but they don’t see the connections. That’s where you can help them see the big picture – and set reasonable expectations for their advertising.
Price: Think of the classic television show ‘The Price is Right.’ Pricing strategies create delicate balances. From the seller’s perspective, pricing should meet desired profit margins. From the consumer’s point of view, a price that seems too high for perceived value will seem out of line. And a price that is too low for perceived value will suggest poor quality.
After all, the best ad campaign in the world can’t sell a product that is not available or priced incorrectly or lacking in customer service.
Whatever the price, discounts can be offered to boost sales.
(c) Copyright 2012 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
Place:
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: jfoust@mindspring.com
This concerns distribution. Where can consumers find the product? Can they try it on or test drive it in a local store, then buy it and take it home? Do they have to order it – in the store or online? How will they receive it? Does the store have convenient hours? What
We want to hear from you! Please share your news and/or opinions with us: newsclips@ocna.org February 2013
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www.ocna.org . info@ocna.org
February 2013
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